October Skirt Table News

Tradd’s Downtown is about to open on East Bay Street, and Chef Drew Hedlund has moved over from Fleet Landing to helm the new place in the home of the old Cypress.

Tiny Babas has come to 11 Cannon Street. Modeled on the tiny bars in Europe’s wine countries, the eatery has wine, cocktails, and upscale snacks that go well with whatever you’re drinking.

How sweet it is! Waffles, that is, as James Island’s Sweet Belgium opens at 424 King in the tiniest little shop possible with tiny little waffles. Frosted waffles, sprinkled waffles, waffles in wild flavors. In addition to waffles, the shop serves espresso drinks and Belgium hot chocolate.

Kid Cashew is moving in to the space vacated by Triangle Char & Bar in Mt. Pleasant. The Charlotte-based restaurant serves small plates and offers gluten-free and vegan options. Kid Cashew, at 1440 Ben Sawyer Blvd., is all about “Eat What You Crave.”

Pink Bellies has left its space in the collaborative Workshop on the upper penninsula.

Bad news for grab-and-go fans: Caviar and Bananas has been sold. For now, the shops on George Street and at the airport are shut down.

This, Alanis Morissette, is irony. The popular burger and beer joint, “Closed for Business” on upper King is, well, closing for business. Instead, sister restaurant and neighbor Monza will expand to fill the space.

CHEF MOVES

Greg Marks has been appointed chef at the Park Circle wine bar Stems & Skins. Along with the appointment comes a new menu offering more local products, especially vegetable plates.

EVENTS

You say Charleston, we say shrimp and grits. The annual Shrimp and Grits Festival will be at the Riverdogs’ Joe Riley Stadium on Nov. 10, 12 – 3 p.m. Attendees get to vote on their favorite version and listen to Blue Plantation Band. Buy tickets online at milb.com/charleston or at the box office are $20 in advance, $25 that day.

The Carolinas have been hit by hurricanes and hurricane threats this year. Butcher & Bee and Edmund’s Oast are joining to raise money for hurricane relief on Oct. 29, when B&B sous chef Stephen Wine is bringing in chefs from his hometown of Wilmington to cook. The event starts with bites at the outdoor Bower by both restaurants at 4:30 pm and then moves inside for dinner to Butcher & Bee. Reservations are encouraged.

The Cocktail Club is hosting a Halloween party Oct. 28. Sponsored by Virgil Kaine, if you come in costume, you get half off punch bowls, bottles of wine and bottles of champagne.

Zero Restaurant + Bar is hosting a cooking class at 11 am Oct. 28 with special guest chef Laurie Erickson, a private chef with experience at the prestigious Canyon Ranch Resort and Spa. Class is $150, not including tax or gratuity and the class is intimate – only nine get in! Buy tickets online at exploretock.com/zerorestaurant.

A new nonprofit, Bread + Butter, is launching a Kickstarter campaign Nov. 15 – Dec. 15 to raise $50,000 seed money to connect the hospitality industry with the community through staffing and service initiatives. Launched by Xan McLaughlin, managing partner of The Park Cafe, and Becky Burke of Commune, the nonprofit will be hosting some happy hours around town to spotlight students already placed in restaurants.

Mercantile and Mash is issuing a pumpkin challenge. Guess the correct weight of the gargantuan squash when you’re at the store, and you could receive a $25 gift certificate. The challenge ends Nov. 1 and the winners will be announced on Instagram.

Spooky sushi, anyone? O-Ku is offering half off sushi rolls and sake from 5-7 p.m. Oct. 31. If you show up in costume, you get a free truffle edamame or spring roll.

Edmund’s Oast Exchange is hosting “Wine Bar Wednesdays.” From 5 to 9 p.m. guests will be able to order charcuterie and cheese plates from Edmund’s Oast restaurant to enjoy in the shop. The plates can be enjoyed with select wines for $6 glasses per glass. To learn more, visit edmundsoast.com/exchange.

Time to get your tickets for the Charleston Restaurant Foundation’sLowcountry Oyster Festival on Jan. 27. Music, contests, and more than 80,000 pounds of oysters will be at Boone Hall Plantation, 1235 Long Point Road, Mount Pleasant. The Southeast Tourism Society has selected this as one of its top 20 events in the Southeast for that month! If you don’t have your own, you can buy oyster gloves and knives at the event. Tickets are now available for purchase online at charlestonrestaurantassociation.com/oyster-fest/.

MENU CHANGES

Hom, the upper King Street home of burgers and ping pong, has a new fall menu with new burgers.

Basic Kitchen, 82 Wentworth Street, has a new fall menu for both food and cocktails. All are inspired by local purveyors. The restaurant has spruced up its digs to go with the new menu, including an edible outdoor garden.

When you know it’s fall but the heat refuses to go, it’s time for FRED. That’s the name of The Skinny Dip’s Frozen Red – a Pinot Noir in this case, sweetened with OJ. The King Street workspace remains a hidden gem upstairs from The Skinny Dip’s retail space at 345 King Street and, as the weather turns cooler, the frozen rose is giving way to FRED, a Sangria-like concoction you can slurp with a spoon.

Millers All Day used to mean breakfast all day, but owner Nate Thurston is adding a supper service with items like a relish tray that hearkens back to his grandma. Millers All Day is at 120 King Street.

Here’s one to add to your fall drink list: Zero George is serving a Pumpkin Spice Latte for grownups – it’s got bourbon, chai, pumpkin puree, Baileys, maple syrup, cold brew coffee and egg whites and it comes garnished with orange peel and coffee beans. And meanwhile, Chef Vinson Petrillo is creating new fall dishes with the Cinderella pumpkin, including a dish with spicy peanut mole and crispy octopus.

CHEERS!

Cynthia Wong, co-owner of Life Raft Treats (August 2018 Skirt) and Lindsay Collins, creator and host of podcast EffinBRadio, is on the list of 100 inspiring women from magazine and podcast powerhouse Cherry Bombe.

Skirt Table Food News is compiled by contributor Helen Mitternight and is published monthly and updated for our website. Email submissions@skirt.com with the subject line “Skirt Table News” if you would like your food and beverage industry news to be considered.